How to teach a child english

How to Teach a Child to Speak English at Home: Ideas from Experienced Tutors

Teach your child to speak English, and you’ll open up a world of opportunities for their future. It’s well-documented that English speakers often earn more, have access to the world’s top universities and enjoy greater opportunities for travel. Who wouldn’t want that for their child?    

If you’re determined to help your child learn English, you’re probably considering getting some expert guidance, whether that’s through an online English course, or finding a tutor who specializes in teaching kids.

But as a parent, you’re probably also wondering “What can I do at home to support my child’s English education myself?” We asked Preply English tutors who specialize in teaching kids that very question, and this is what they said. 

1. Sing songs with them   

A number of tutors mentioned that music is a great way to capture a child’s attention, and help them remember new words without stress.  

Nyuyki “For me, the best way is through singing and watching interactive videos. This has been tested and so far came out positive. Most children love songs and can easily retain things through music!” 

2. Use English in daily life

If you are comfortable speaking English yourself, use it in daily life alongside your mother tongue. Early exposure to more than one language at home has dozens of perks for your child. To name just one, studies show it’ll make pronunciation easier for them in the long term.

Interactive classes for kids

Learning with a tutor is more fun. Give your kids English lessons they’ll love!

Meet Preply tutors

Magdalini “Make the learning process as natural as possible. Don’t treat English as a foreign language but include it in daily activities, games and songs as you do with the child’s first language. While coloring, name the colors in English, while dancing, repeat the names of the moves in English, and so on.”

3. Set a regular learning routine  

It’s well-known that kids love routine: it inspires a sense of security and helps them to develop self-discipline. It’s also really helpful for learning a second language! 

Mirela Z.“If you are teaching your children English at home, I would advise you to have a routine for your children! Set up a schedule that is consistent every week; schedule days and times in which your children will be studying English. Have them choose the topics or themes to study, to keep them interested. Give them fun projects to do; like drawing the solar system, the USA map, holiday pictures, etc., and record them doing a presentation about the project. They will feel important!” 

4. Play with your child in English 

Several of our tutors suggested you should encourage your child to use English whilst playing. After all, studying a language won’t feel like studying if they’re having fun! 

Rajesh “To help your child get ahead with English learning, get them to play in the language. At home, try playing dress-up games, hide-and-seek, Simon Says, charades and other popular games, whilst speaking in English. In other words, get them to learn the language in the same way they learned their first one!” 

5. Ask them to act out something they see on TV 

On the subject of play, one idea for a creative game is to have your child role-play an English-language commercial that you find on YouTube or the TV. 

Miriela “Have them watch a commercial, and ask them to repeat it, as if they were acting in the commercial. This will help with their communication skills, and if they are shy, it will help them overcome their fear of making a mistake.”

6. Read comics together 

If your child is slightly older, English-language comic books can be a great step towards reading English independently. Not sure where to start? Marvel comics are a classic starting point for those learning US English, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid is great for teaching contemporary British English. 

Jamie “I think comic strips are a great way to motivate a child to learn English, depending on their age and ability. If they read a comic featuring their favorite superhero, for example, they will feel excited to learn. Also, the pictures really help them to understand the language as they provide great context.”

7. Praise them! 

Children thrive on encouragement and their parents’ encouragement above all! If your kid is trying their best to learn English, let them know that their effort makes you proud.    

Leonah “Praise your child to create a sense of success, and encourage them especially when they keep going with difficult tasks. Create a reward system for when they work hard! It doesn’t have to cost anything – extra free time, more visits to friends or activities of their choice. Don’t criticize them too often or correct every mistake, it’s okay and very normal to make mistakes when learning a language. In short, PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!” 

8. Ask them open-ended questions in English

If your child is younger than ten, they’re probably always asking you “Why?” Now, it’s your turn to do this to them! 

Nickoi “My strategy in the classroom is to ask open-ended questions that allow my students to speak and express themselves as much as possible. Parents can do the same, engage their children in conversation which allows them to use the language as much as possible.”

9. Have a tea party in English 

If your children are very young, a teddy bears’ tea party in English is a very cute idea that they’ll enjoy!  

Clare “The best way for parents to help young children learn English at home is to incorporate learning with play. With very young children, why not try to have a tea party in English? The child can invite their soft toys and the parent can come along, perhaps with younger siblings who won’t mind what language is being spoken, as long as they get to join in with pretend tea and cake!” 

10.

Creative writing in English is a fun activity for little people with big imaginations. 

Clare “With older children, try writing a story together. As a tutor, I like to create stories with my young students about a toy they have brought to the lesson. The child is then involved in directing their learning from the start. Once the story is built up, we take turns reading it aloud. When the child reads the story back, they recognise the vocabulary, as these are the words they have just spoken. Other keywords can also be added to make the story flow or to introduce new vocabulary. I use the story later on as a base for exercises or homework.”

11. Use puppets

Two of our tutors mentioned that puppets are a fun way to help younger children overcome their fear of speaking in English. 

Sally “I love playing games with my students using my puppet, Ziggy. Sometimes he hides part of a flashcard, other times he acts out actions for them to guess. When I ask a question and can see the student is unsure of how to answer, I ask Ziggy so they can hear his answer. It gives them the confidence to try the next one! We can correct Ziggy’s mistakes too —  it stops them from being afraid of making mistakes which is so important and we can laugh together.” 

Catherine Anne B “I am currently teaching English to Arabic children and I use puppets as my main tool in teaching English. I found the children loved the puppets and even put on puppet shows, demonstrating what they had learned.” 

12. Talk to your child’s tutor

If your child has an online English tutor, it can be tempting to leave them alone during lesson time. Especially if your child is a little shy and you don’t want to distract them! 

However, several tutors mentioned that children make much faster progress when parents check in with their tutors. It can help them stay up-to-date with what their child is learning, and practice it between lessons.  

Yolandi “My young online students who show the fastest improvement are the ones whose parents are actively involved in their learning and development. The parents who ask me to make videos of their children’s classes, to re-watch together afterward show rapid improvement. Children and teenagers who get little to no support from their parents during their language course show slower improvement.” 

She was keen to stress that there is a lot that parents can do to help their children learn, even if they’re not fluent in English themselves.

“Parents who don’t speak English, but want to support their children/teenagers in their English studies, can attend my classes together with their children (at no extra charge) so they can learn too. This will empower them to help their children with homework, or to complete worksheets at home, since they have also followed the lessons, and learned the same things that their child did. ” 

She went on to deliver one final message which all parents will agree on.

“Love, showing interest, and giving support in the process of learning, are three of the most important contributions that parents could ever make towards their children’s development.” 

The golden rule from our tutors? Make it fun! 

We spoke to more than 30 tutors, and at least half of them pointed out that the most important advice for teaching a child English is to make it a process they enjoy. Don’t push them too hard to work on grammar exercises, and focus on playful activities and speaking skills. After all, they are still young enough to learn a language simply by being around it often, and it’s important to let kids be kids. 

Give your child happy memories of learning English, and they’ll grow up with positive feelings towards the language. This will make them more likely to stick with it, and develop their skills to fluency! It’ll also be a much nicer experience for you and them.  

Jackie “My biggest piece of advice is to make English fun! A child’s creativity and excitement will help him or her succeed. Practice spelling using games. Read interesting stories. Make a yummy recipe together in English! It isn’t just about the results; it’s also about the journey along the way. The more hands-on and interactive the learning becomes, the more the child will retain the information down the line.” 

Hopefully, these tips gave you some inspiration for creative ways to teach your child english at home. If you’d like some more guidance, a few English lessons with an online tutor who specializes in teaching kids can be a source of inspiration for bringing English into your home. Private tutoring doesn’t have to be expensive either, with prices starting from just $5 per hour (and half-hour lessons available for little people with short attention spans!). 

If you’re reading this, you’re planning to do a very responsible thing for your child’s future. Being able to speak English is a remarkable gift, and will set them up for success later in life. It’s also much easier to learn a new language as a child than as an adult! If you start them young, by the time they need their language skills, they will have a high level of fluency, and speaking English will feel effortless. 

How to Teach English to Children

English is now a worldwide benchmark for all conversations. Right from personal to professional scenarios, having the knack of speaking, writing, and communicating in English is always prized upon. Parents often wonder how to teach a child English at home and may resort to different methods to achieve it.

With these simple tips and techniques, you can easily teach kids to speak English and prepare them in advance.

1. Make It An Immersive Experience

Children grasp things quickly once they are in an environment that fully supports their learning process. Let the atmosphere be productive so that they start grasping the nuances of the language from everywhere. These could be from conversations amongst yourselves or on the phone, watching media that has professional English spoken in it, and so on.

2. Teaching English Can Be Made Musical

Most parents resort to using textbook methods of teaching English right off the bat. For small kids, this can get boring rather quickly. Instead, you can start using songs, poems, or even actual music that have English lyrics in them. These could be simple rhymes to even popular songs. By listening to the words and the rhythm of the conversations, kids can get more acquainted with how the language sounds and what it means, and start picking up on these finer details.

3. Converse in English At Home

Small kids will not be able to start making sentences or structuring their thoughts immediately in English. Hence, it is necessary that they learn to communicate what they already can in English. Talk to them about daily activities and things you usually converse about in English. Right from asking them if they brushed their teeth to teaching them how to phrase a question when they want to ask you something. For example, if they want milk, rather than saying “I want milk” in your native language, encourage them to form a proper request such as “I would like some milk from the refrigerator.”

4. Make English Fun By Turning It Into a Game

Reading books or talking in English is not the only way to learn the language. Undertaking fun games and activities that resort to understanding the meaning of the language helps children get a deeper grasp of it. Games like Pictionary help them express their idea in pictures while trying how best a picture can translate into an English word. Dumb charades focus on expressions, hand gestures, and body language, making them better at conveying what they want to say through non-verbal cues. Hangman will help them understand how to eliminate unwanted letters and understand the formation of words and pronunciation in a fun way.

5. Learning is Fun When It is Told Through a Story

Kids have an extremely vivid and visual imagination. Using that to their advantage while teaching English is a great way to make them learn. Use illustrated storybooks to help them understand how words help visualize environments, characters, and settings. Tell them stories and make use of different words to help them understand how it changes their perception of it. For example, help them visualize how a river is different from a stream, a creek, or a brook. Using visuals and sounds helps them express their thoughts better.

6. Grammar Can Be Made Easy By Repetition

Teaching grammar to kids can be quite a task. Teaching English grammar to children is usually done once the child enters a certain grade at school. The number of rules and sentence structure formats can easily get mind-boggling. The best way to introduce them to the world of grammar is to keep using the right grammar in general conversations. The moment they use wrong grammar, allow them to hear the sentence with right grammar and let them understand which one sounds better and is right to be spoken. With enough repetition in daily use, kids can start getting a hang of the right way to construct a sentence.

7. Mix Games They Like with Nuggets of English Language

Not all kids will be up for learning English in the way you would want them to. Therefore, it is best to integrate the language into the activities they already enjoy. If your kid enjoys playing Jenga, you could tweak the game by writing questions on the Jenga blocks and your kid would have to answer the question before the round proceeds. If they enjoy puzzles and riddles, you could pepper clues with one-liners having blanks, or English phrases and poems, that they need to recall and complete to get the next clue.

8. Creative Expression is the Best Way to Gauge Progress

In order to ensure that learning English is a continuous process, it is very important to know where your kid stands and whether you can take the learning a notch higher. Pick a day and time, and ask your kid to come up with their own story or a poem, or talk about something interesting that happened in the week. Help them write it down, even if it has multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes. Let them express it in steps and then correct them gradually.

9. Learning a Language Can Be a Physical Exercise Too

Everybody knows the game ‘Simon Says’ really well. Not only is it a test of language, but it is also a test of how quickly you can process instructions. Ask your kid to get their friends together and treat them to an evening of Simon Says. Announce a small prize for the kid who wins the round.

10. Nothing Beats Learning English Like Watching a Wonderful Film

Learning should always be entertaining. And kids can quickly descend into the zone of boredom and find something else to keep their attention. Show them an appropriate English film and let them experience the dialogues and the storyline. Later, ask them to roleplay certain characters or tell the story in their own words in English.

Teaching anything at an early age has its own advantages. And English is rather easy to pick up when taught the right way. Keeping things varied and interesting is one way to go about it. Make English conversation a natural habit within the household. Allot specific times of the day when every person will speak only in English. Slowly and steadily, your kid will start getting the know-how of the language and begin to experience and express their own thoughts on it.

Also Read: How to Teach Hindi to Kids

Teaching a child English from scratch 👨‍🏫 English for kids

English for 3-4 years old

Disputes about early learning are as old as the world - there is no consensus on this matter. But the generally accepted "starting" age can be considered 3 years. As for the first acquaintance with foreign languages, the period from 3 to 7 years is considered the best time for this.

This is due to the fact that it is at this age that the child develops logical forms of thinking and voluntary attention. The formation of the latter leads to the fact that the child begins to resort to already mastered methods of memorizing information: he repeats what he heard, tries to comprehend what is remembered in the right sequence.

In the same period, speech and phonemic hearing develop intensively, vocabulary expands and the morphological system of the language spoken by everyone around is fixed in the mind.

Some parents refuse preschool education of their child in order not to “deprive him of his childhood”, because education is associated with coercion, routine, punishment for mistakes. Thick textbooks with yellowed pages and teachers who have never been in English-speaking countries are a wall between us and free English. It is up to our children to overcome or even break this wall, young millennials today are tomorrow's bilinguals.

Gradually, the fear of early learning recedes, because it seems no longer necessary to explain that a little person can be taught anything just by playing with him.

At this early stage, it is not necessary to enroll a child in special courses. You yourself will be able to perfectly cope with the first stage of mastering English. In addition, classes with a parent eliminate the stress factor in the form of an unfamiliar place, a teacher and other children. Here's how to do it.

By the way, classes English for children 7 years old online takes place in a comfortable environment: students can study even at home, even at their grandmother's, even in the country. In individual lessons, no one will distract the child from acquiring new knowledge, and textbooks and notebooks are not needed - only the Internet.

English proficiency test

This English proficiency test was compiled by the Skysmart online school tutors. They prepared fun and relevant tasks on modern topics to make the test both useful and interesting

How a parent can practice English with a child

Surround your child with English. Integrate English speech, individual words into everyday life. When preparing dinner, name the ingredients. On a walk, describe the objects you encounter in English. When asking your child to do something, use basic English verbs (look, take, sit).

You will be very surprised when you realize that your child does not need translation - the meaning of any word becomes clear from the context. Of course, for this you need to have basic knowledge. If you do not know English at all, then this will be an excellent reason for you to make sure that not only a child, but an adult can learn anything through the game.

Get large jingle dice with English letters and flash cards with words. Children adore such cards, bright pictures contribute to quick memorization.

Do not start with the alphabet. Many are accustomed to the fact that learning any language begins with the alphabet. Parents can now exhale - this routine and really stressful part can be skipped. Why not learn the alphabet?

Reading in any language starts with sounds and then syllables. It makes sense to teach whole words with the child so that he easily and naturally gets acquainted with the variations of sounds. The alphabetically learned "h" does not correlate with the pronunciation of the word "hippo". It is unlikely that you will be able to explain to a three-year-old kid why “hippo” and not “eychipo”.

Therefore, memorizing the letters of the alphabet separates the child from his first success in learning English, and the parents from the motivation and fuse to continue learning. In addition, you can save a lot of money by ignoring the purchase of "speaking alphabets" and other useless and loud toys.

You can connect online games to the educational process from the age of four. But it is better at this age to focus on cartoons and songs. Here are some sites where you can find educational games for the little ones.

Online learning games are not the only way to help your child learn English. When they are tired or, on the contrary, carried away the child too much, songs come to the rescue in their most diverse variations.

Why is it necessary to sing with a child, and how can this help him learn English?

Singing songs and chants (short rhythmic chants) is an essential learning tool for a more or less progressive teacher.

New words and grammatical structures are learned much easier if they are accompanied by rhythmic music. The phenomenon of "learning" children's songs does not require special confirmation - is there anyone who does not remember the Russian Christmas tree born in the forest, or the overseas farmer MacDonald ia - ia - oh?

If suddenly you don't like or don't want to sing yourself - save links to resources where you can find a variety of songs and chants in English.

If you have already played and sung enough, you can start watching cartoons. For us adults, learning English through TV shows is exciting. Why not try the same thing with a child, but instead of serials, include cartoons. The effect is one to one and even better.

Finding the right cartoon that can captivate a child is not an easy task.

It's great if it will be a whole animated series with regular characters. A familiar character on the screen will help the baby focus more on his speech, and not on his appearance.

In order to achieve the desired educational effect from watching, record the knowledge gained after each watched series. It is advisable to limit the number of episodes viewed in a row.

For a 3-4 year old child, 15-20 minutes is ideal timing. After each series, ask the child about what they watched, ask them to repeat familiar and new words they heard. If there are blocks, ask the child to collect these words.

Operate not on the principle of quantity, but on the principle of quality. It is important that the child not only learn the words, but also actively use them in speech.

Let's summarize and repeat what needs to be done so that the child has fun and enjoys learning English.

How to study English with a 3-4 year old child

1. Play more with the baby, offering him a variety of types of games: from quiet, where perseverance and attention are required, to fast ones, where speed and reaction are needed.

2. Invite your child to join online education. Choose some exciting games from our selection and turn learning English into a real adventure.

3. Sing songs: the more the better. There are so many songs in our collections that any child will find something that he likes.

4. Watch cartoons with your child. Pick up a few animated series in English that he will like and spend 15-20 minutes every day watching and the same amount to fix everything.

5. Surround your child with English: insert the words he has learned into everyday speech. Ask the child to do something: bring a book, drink milk, walk the dog - all in English.

6. Maintain a balance between study and free time. Do not turn the child's acquaintance with the language into a routine - let the child form only positive associations with the subject. The school will get better anyway.

7. Do not compare your child's progress with other children's. It is better to praise and reward for small victories - the more motivation, the greater the progress in learning.

How many English words do you already know?

Let's define your vocabulary - without complex questions and with the help of smart algorithms.

English for 5-7 year olds

Teaching English to a 5-7 year old child is not very different from teaching a younger child. The basic rules and techniques remain the same. The base is the game. Only in this way can a child at this age really effectively learn the material.

After four years, parents may start thinking about courses, language schools and tutors. During this period of development, the child experiences a great craving for communication with peers.

While a three-year-old child may perceive such a situation as hostile, a six-year-old child, on the contrary, should have enough social interaction. In addition, courses and various language circles will help the child overcome the fear of speaking in a non-native language.

We all know firsthand what a “language barrier” is. The sooner a child gets used to communicating in English, the more likely it is that, growing up, he will only become more confident, getting into one or another language situation.

As a rule, if the study started from the age of three, then by the age of 5-7 the child can already quite coherently express himself in simple sentences in English, understand simple speech and more or less correctly build grammatical constructions.

Such progress should not be a reason to take a break or rest before starting school. You must be prepared that you will have to learn a second language, if not all your life, then most of it. Because the human brain has an unpleasant habit of forgetting all the most necessary things very, very quickly if we don’t use it in any way.

Continue to play with your child and integrate new words into everyday situations. You can play in different ways. Now many parents are leaning towards online education. There can be many reasons: lack of time, lack of confidence in one's own teaching talents, or simply a desire to dilute live classes with online learning games.

The myths around online education have been dispelled and refuted a long time ago. We know that as a means of development, online games are in no way inferior to communication between a child and a teacher.

With the help of online resources, the child will easily learn to read and count in English, develop intelligence and logical thinking. The gameplay in educational games is designed in such a way that in addition to the main skill (reading or counting), the child acquires secondary knowledge about the world around him.

At the same time, the issue of using gadgets to teach the youngest causes a lot of controversy. To strike a healthy balance between live learning and online education, keep gadget use under strict control. Limit the time your child spends in front of a screen. Do not forget to involve him in live outdoor games.

Also, don't forget to turn off in-app payments if your child is learning from a smartphone or tablet - this will help you avoid unplanned in-game purchases.

Of course, there are never too many games, but it is better to continue to alternate between online and live mobile lessons. You can also connect fine motor skills: ask the child to draw a number, letter or object. In the future, this will help him begin to write and memorize words.

It is assumed that at this age it is already possible to start reading books. Choose thin books with large print and colorful pictures. In this case, the more pictures, the better. Read aloud, ask to repeat and retell. Reading is a process that forms new neural connections in the brain. It is unlikely that something more useful in learning a language has been invented so far than reading.

The older the student, the longer and more complex the cartoons they watch should become. From 15-20 minutes you can move on to 30. Choose such cartoons where the phrases of the characters become more complicated. The storyline should also become a little more complicated.

English for elementary school students

Usually a second language is taught at school from the second grade. But if you start studying earlier, by this time you can achieve good success: you can easily count to 20 and discuss the simplest topics.

If, at the age of eight, a child starts learning a second language from scratch, then it is worth adhering to all the same principles: games, songs, repetition.

It is usually much more difficult to get a student interested in a subject - they have many other interests. At this stage, it is important to carefully integrate additional activities into the child's daily routine.

It is necessary to act as delicately as possible so as not to frighten off the student. Most likely, it will not be easy to explain to a second-grader why it is not enough for him to learn English at school and why he needs to study extra. So just keep playing.

At this age, it is worth paying more attention to reading, teaching the child to work with text. Gradually, the book should become thicker, and there should be more text in it.

If you decide to work with your child on your own, without a tutor, be prepared to figure out intensive reading on your own.

Intensive reading implies a detailed analysis of the text. So the child learns to clarify for himself incomprehensible places in the text, gets acquainted with grammatical constructions, learns to ask the right questions based on the content.

Foreign language text for intensive reading should be short and interesting. The longer the text, the less likely the child is to understand it to the end. Choose texts of this type:

• I am nine years old. I love all holidays. Birthday is my favorite holiday. My birthday is on the fifth of November. I usually have a party on this day. I invite my friends. We have much fun during the party. We eat cakes, sweets and ice cream. We play games. I get a lot of presents on this day.

Find texts in English. language to practice reading skills. For example, on the website of the British Council. Here we have collected a lot of interesting texts, distributed by difficulty levels. Each text is accompanied by pictures and exercises to reinforce reading comprehension. The child should be interested in working with texts of this format.

However, to develop reading skills, it is recommended to read on paper. For a long time, all possible experiments have been carried out that have proved the high efficiency of such reading. If there is no book with texts, then you can print texts from the Internet.

You can also use audio books to learn a foreign language. After reading the text, and then listening to it, the child will soon learn new vocabulary and will not get confused in the pronunciation of new words.

Demo lesson in English

Let's determine the level and set a goal, and then we will teach you to speak English fluently.

How to learn English with a child: recommendations for parents

It may seem that helping a child learn a foreign language is very difficult, but it is not. To make it bring only pleasure, follow some simple recommendations, and everything will definitely work out.

• Don't take language learning too seriously. Do not forget for a moment that this is just an exciting game in which there are no losers and winners.
• Your task is to captivate the child. He will do the rest himself.
• Use as many playing techniques as possible. Do not try to evaluate the material from the point of view of an adult. The more varied the games, the faster and more fun the child will learn. The same actions, albeit in the form of a game, will still one day turn into a routine and get bored.
• So support diversity. Connect surrounding objects, relatives, pets to educational games.
• Don't neglect online education. You can protect your child from gadgets for as long as you like, or you can learn how to benefit from them. The benefits of interactive online games have long been confirmed, so you should not be afraid of them anymore. Choose games with your child, track the process.
• Online learning does not mean that the parent is not involved in the process. You should record the results, ask the child test questions and ensure that the learned words are used in speech.
• Track your child's progress. Buy or make your own large board that you can write on with colored markers. Children are arranged in such a way that in the “achievement-prize” combination, any information is absorbed better. However, it's not just children.
• To constantly feed the child's interest, start a prize fund. It doesn't have to be toys or candy. The prize can be stars cut out of paper. The joy of getting such a star is no less than the joy of candy, you'll see.
• Show your child cartoons in English. Let such viewing become a family tradition - support the baby in his occupation. Until the age of seven, children copy the behavior of their parents, so show your child an interest in English in every possible way.
• Play the game "I see" in English. The rules are simple. Anywhere: at home, in a cafe, on a walk, say I see ... and name the objects around - house, car, dog. When you realize that the level of the child's English has grown up, you can add adjectives to the game: big house, red car, black dog. This is a very simple and incredibly effective game.
• If a word is unknown, a suitable flash card should immediately be at hand. A set of such cards can be bought at a bookstore or ordered online. Choose cards with colorful pictures and carry them with you, showing your child at every opportunity.
• Work on your pronunciation right away. Usually this point is missed, because there is an opinion that it is important to know grammar, and only pronunciation is a delight. It is better to take care of the correct pronunciation and correct intonations in advance, so that later your child, who has already grown up, does not have to painfully get rid of the “Russian English” accent for a long time. Moreover, the younger the child, the easier it is for him to remember and reproduce the intonations he hears.
• Songs will help with pronunciation. Sing with the child for so long until you are finally convinced that the work of songs is done. If for some reason singing does not give you pleasure, let your child choose songs to their liking on the YouTube channels that are in the selection above.
• To prevent all these points from getting mixed up in an uncontrollable mess, make a study plan. It is not necessary to make a strict schedule, where the day of the child is scheduled by the minute. A plan is needed to keep a balance in a child's life: play, learning, sleep and free time - everything should be comfortable for the child during the day. This rough schedule will also be useful for tracking your child's progress.
• Spend no more than 60 minutes a day with English at first. This time includes watching cartoons, online games and reading. Moreover, all three aspects should not go one after another. It is better if there is a pause of half an hour or an hour while reading and watching a cartoon.
• Be consistent. Only regular practice will bear fruit. In the end, you can stop treating the study of English as a study. Then the process will go much faster and more fun.

In matters of teaching a child, there are many pitfalls, subtleties and tricks. Most often, behind the simple reluctance to sit down to English, there are many reasons that are far from the subject itself.

A child's education is always a parent's education. To make the process efficient and overcome all sorts of difficulties in interacting with a child who does not want to learn English, we offer a selection of books for parents.

These books are written in a simple and understandable way, it will be not only useful to read them, but also interesting.

At what age is a child ready to start learning English?

Contents:

• 1. Theory №1. The child should start learning English as early as possible
• 2. Theory №2. The child should be taught English no earlier than 7 years old
• 3. Where to teach English to a child
• 4. How to teach a child English at home

Each child is different, so it is difficult to name a universal age to start learning English. In the article, we considered two options for teaching children and asked the opinions of experts - teachers of our school.

Theory #1. A child should start learning English as early as possible

Adherents of this theory say that children from birth to 5-6 years of age can easily learn any language. To learn their native language, they do not need a school, so they can also easily learn English.

Positive aspects of this approach:

1. The child learns the language unconsciously

   Parents believe that babies learn English as a native language: they listen passively, and then reproduce words and phrases in speech. By the age of 7, any child speaks Russian well, despite the fact that he does not understand what the subject, noun, present tense are. The conclusion follows that it is also possible to learn English - naturally and without rules.

2. The child is not afraid to speak

   Children are not afraid to make mistakes. Toddlers do not have a language barrier, because they are spontaneous and less constrained than adults. They speak without paying attention to their pronunciation or errors in speech. Adults correct them, and gradually the child gets used to speaking correctly.

3. Children have a good memory

   There is a theory that before the age of 5, every person has an ability for languages ​​that is above average. Children repeat everything they hear and quickly memorize new words. Every adult has had such an embarrassment: you pronounce an abusive word in front of a child, and he instantly remembers it and begins to use it in his speech.

4. It is easier for a child to develop good pronunciation

   It is also believed that it is easier for a child to learn to pronounce English sounds, since he quickly remembers the correct pronunciation and more easily catches combinations of sounds.

Disadvantages of this approach:

1. Need a language environment

   The success of the approach is possible if a suitable language environment is created. The child should hear English speech from others every day. This is possible if he lives abroad, one of the parents constantly speaks English or the child has an English-speaking nanny. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. in Russia, representatives of the high society knew French better than Russian. And all because in those days it was customary to invite governesses and tutors from France.

2. The danger of mechanical learning

   The child still does not know his native language well, he pronounces sentences automatically and does not understand what new words mean and how they combine with each other. Mechanical memorization of English phrases is not the most effective method of learning a language. Think about it, maybe it's worth waiting until the child grows up and learns English consciously.

3. It is difficult to create the right mood

   For a preschool child, the right mood is important both at home and in the classroom, but it is not easy to create it. In addition, you will need to find a teacher who knows how to teach through play and instills in the child a love of learning the language.

4. The risk of spoiling the pronunciation of Russian sounds

   Some speech therapists believe that the study of English sounds can cause poor pronunciation of Russian. They do not recommend learning English until the child has a good pronunciation of the sounds of his native language.

The opinions of our teachers on the question "At what age is it better to teach English to a child?"

Teaching experience: 16 years

Englex experience: 10 years old

Julia

A child can start learning English from birth, if the family speaks several languages.

My daughter showed interest in various videos with songs and rhymes in English at the age of 2.5 (naturally, it was I who suggested them to her). She immediately chose certain ones and then simply demanded to turn them on 20-30 times in a row. Just a couple of weeks later, I started singing them. At this age, children absorb new words and pronunciation at an astonishing rate. But the time came when she was tired of her favorite videos in English and there was an interest in cartoons in Russian. When she was 5, I tried to turn on the same videos, she immediately recognized the picture, the motive, and even sang excerpts, but she could no longer fully reproduce, as before. Which confirms the well-known fact: without constant practice, the language is forgotten.

It seems to me that the earlier a child is introduced to a new language (this is the task of parents), the easier it will be to learn it in the future. The desire of the child himself is also important - do not try to impose at an early age what is not interesting to him, otherwise the result will be negative.

As for learning a language as an activity, from the age of 3-4, children can be sent to courses, but always in a group, and not individually (this is my subjective opinion). At the same time, it is worth weighing the pros and cons very well, taking into account the nature of the child, his readiness to learn and communicate with peers and the teacher. The first experience is the most important!

Teaching experience: 11 years

Englex experience: 4 years

Julia

I can not say that I am an expert, but this topic is close to me. My first education is an elementary school teacher, specializing in English.

You can start teaching a language from the cradle, because that's what happens in bilingual families. And the result is magnificent - the child speaks two languages, as if they were native. But this, of course, is an exceptional option.

In teaching my child, I follow the “do no harm” principle:

• do not torture the child and do not cause negativity in relation to the language;
• do not disturb the psyche and the development of speech in the native language.

When my son was one and a half years old and I made sure that he is developed, sociable, cheerful and already speaks phrases in his native language, I added children's poems, cartoons and songs in English to his program.

Until 6-8 years old, I would recommend only counting rhymes, songs, cartoons and games with parents or in language clubs. It is also important to remember that the pronunciation in these audio and video or the teacher must be at the level, otherwise it will be difficult to correct what has been memorized. Naturally, there can be no question of any writing and grammar with such crumbs.

When can one start teaching a language to a child consciously, albeit fun, but systematically? is an individual question. There are children who are more assiduous and less assiduous, someone begins to talk at the age of one, and someone at three is laconic. There are many nuances, and first of all, parents themselves need to assess what their child is now ready for.

It is worth teaching your child English from infancy if:

1. You live or intend to live in an English-speaking country and your child needs to know the language to communicate with others.
2. At home, someone constantly speaks English: one of the parents, grandmother, nanny. In this case, the child will realize that he needs English to communicate with a specific person.
3. You know how to teach your child knowledge in an unobtrusive and interesting way, or you have found a tutor who knows how to do it.

Theory #2. A child should be taught English no earlier than from the age of 7

Adherents of this opinion believe that foreign languages ​​should be taught at a conscious age, and not torment the child with words incomprehensible to him. Supporters of learning from the age of 7 agree that a child up to 5-6 years old easily learns a language that he constantly hears. But if the child is not in an English-speaking country or his parents do not speak English as often as they do Russian, then a foreign language will not be able to be learned on its own.

Positive aspects of this approach:

1. The child gets used to learning

   At the age of 7 and older, the child goes to school, so he gets used to the routine. Children become more organized and able to learn, do homework, listen to the teacher.

2. The child has a good command of his native language

   School-age children have a wide vocabulary - they do not need to explain the meaning of words, it is enough to provide a translation into Russian.

3. The child has formed pronunciation

   By the age of 7, the child has already formed the pronunciation of the sounds of his native language, so he will not confuse them with English sounds. Moreover, at this age a person has good phonemic abilities, so he can quickly learn how to pronounce the sounds of foreign speech correctly.

4. Children are easier to motivate

   At this age, children develop hobbies, so you can offer your child a reward system that will motivate him to learn the language. In addition, it is easy to find advantages in learning English: the ability to watch cartoons in the original, read interesting fairy tales and stories, play online games. Find something that will captivate your child, and you will not have to force him to the next English class.

5. Variety of courses

   Finding courses for children from 7 years old will be easy: they have learned to concentrate on the subject being studied, they have developed interests. With children under 7 years old, it is a little more difficult: it is not easy to attract and hold the attention of a small child, it is even more difficult to get him to do something consciously. Not every teacher will be able to find the right approach to teaching a child.

6. It is not difficult for a child to overcome the language barrier

   Children at this age are not afraid to make mistakes, they willingly carry on a dialogue with the teacher, they do not think about the accent.

Disadvantages of this approach:

1. It is more difficult to captivate a child

   If a child can be captivated to learn English by playing, then with a child older than 7 years this approach may be ineffective. You will have to figure out how to motivate the student to learn English. Keep in mind that long-term goals like getting into a foreign university or getting a well-paid job are weak motivation for a child.

2. Less time to learn a language

   Some students are loaded with large amounts of homework, so there may be very little time left for English. However, you can also find a way out of this situation: enroll your child in courses where learning takes place in a playful way.

The opinions of our teachers on the question "At what age should a child be taught English?"

Teacher experience: 10 years

Englex experience: 3 years

Irina

I think that from the age of 7 you can start teaching a child, since at this age the vocabulary of their native language is quickly enriched in children, they actively communicate with their peers. The child already has a sufficiently large stock of knowledge about the world around him, and therefore there are no difficulties in learning new words of the English language if the child already has an idea about this subject or concept.

Teaching experience: 18 years

Englex experience: 8 years

Julia

My personal conclusion: if there is time and opportunity, then why not send the child to a language studio from an early age. However, do not wait for him to suddenly speak. This is a general development that may take off in the future. If it is worth highlighting priority classes, I would give preference to the development of motor skills, music, aesthetic and physical development, and from the age of 6-7 I would connect the study of languages. I now mean the majority of children who learn a language without daily contact with it and regular immersion in the environment.

I see many examples of early language learning. There are children who come after many years of training from the age of 3, and they do not hold a group lesson with children of their age, with whom we have been working for the second year. It happens that in the process they adapt quite quickly and excel the rest, and it happens that they lag behind or simply remain at the level of the rest of the students.

As you can see, we found more advantages in the second approach, but it should be remembered that this is not a hard and fast rule. Every child is different, so the final decision about the best age to start learning English is up to you.

Where to teach English to your child

So, you have decided to start teaching your child English. What to choose: homeschooling, courses or private lessons?

Homeschooling

Homeschooling with a parent is the best option for a child. If your child is not yet 4-5 years old, try to teach him at home. At the end of the article we will tell you how to do it.

You can teach your child English at home if you know the language yourself at least at an intermediate level and use fun learning methods. The child is just starting to get acquainted with a new language, so it is important that this acquaintance is interesting. You do not know English? You can try this option: you go to courses and begin to transfer your knowledge to the child. In our school, many adults learn the language for exactly this purpose: they want to teach English to children, help with homework, etc.

Teaching English in courses

At the age of 3-4 years, the child can be sent to a special kindergarten or early development center with English lessons, and after 7 years - to children's courses. At this age, it is important for children not only to learn English, but also to communicate with their peers, expand their social circle, and perform interesting tasks in a competitive environment.

The main point that you should consider is the level of knowledge of the children in the group. It is important that all children know English in approximately the same way, otherwise the child may be uncomfortable in the classroom.

When your child reaches an intermediate level of English, you can try to send him to a special language camp. This will be a great encouragement and good motivation to further study English, and it will also allow the child to make friends from different parts of the world.

Individual education

We do not recommend that children under 7 begin individual education. Firstly, it is difficult for a stranger to attract and hold the attention of a baby. Secondly, a child may not be interested in such activities: it is one thing to learn a language with the same kids, and quite another to be alone with a stranger.

Individual learning has significant disadvantages: you will need to take your child to a tutor or invite a teacher to your home, which creates certain inconveniences. However, they can be avoided, because there is an alternative - from the age of 9, children successfully begin to learn English via Skype. If you want your child to try this way of learning, sign them up for a free trial lesson. You will be present at this class and will be able to understand if this way of teaching is suitable for him.

How to teach your child English at home

If you know English at least at an intermediate level and you have a desire to teach your child the language at home, follow our recommendations.

1. A playful approach to learning

It is up to you whether your child will fall in love with the English language or whether each lesson will be perceived as hard labor. Therefore, do not impose anything on the child, find such exercises that he will perform with pleasure. Use a game form of learning, not lessons from textbooks. If you can't get your kid interested in learning a language, try waiting until he grows up.

2. Proper motivation

Define a learning goal appropriate for the child's age. For example, watch cartoons and play games in English, read English fairy tales.

3. Short lessons

It is difficult for a young student to sit through 45-60 minutes of studying English, so break the lesson into small segments of 10-15 minutes. A variety of exercises related to movements will also come to the rescue, for example, you pronounce a word in English, and the child performs the indicated action. Also, change activities: study words for 10 minutes, watch a cartoon for 10 minutes, sing a song for 5 minutes.

4. Illustrative Pictures

Use Glen Doman's cards, with objects drawn and signed. Find beautiful images of fruits, vegetables, animals on the Internet, print and sign. Children usually remember words easily by associating them with a picture. In addition, you can use the ready-made online dictionary in pictures on the site anglomaniacy.pl. The child will enjoy the game form of learning.

5. Useful games

Today, even 2-year-olds can easily manage their phones and laptops. They enjoy playing simple games and coloring pages. Such entertainment can be turned into a mini-lesson in English, just go to learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org and invite your child to play one of the mini-games. This will not take much time and will allow you to learn a couple of useful words.

In the article "English learning sites for kids" you will find 9 more resources where your child can learn the language in a playful way.

6. Educational cartoons

Watching cartoons is the best way for a child to develop listening skills. Try to offer your kid an educational cartoon about Gogo. The characters speak slowly and clearly, using simple phrases. With fascinating cartoons, learning English for children will definitely not be boring. In the article “How to Learn English from Cartoons: Tips and Useful Links”, we told you why this learning method is interesting and where to watch cartoons in English for free.

7. Short poems

By memorizing English poems, the child will expand vocabulary and develop memory. Simple poems for children in English can be found at kenglish.ru.

8. English songs

It's probably hard to find a kid who doesn't like to sing. Lyrics for children's songs work in the same way as poems: the child has fun, develops memory, and remembers useful words. Many simple songs for kids with lyrics and translation can be found at english5kids.russianblogger.ru. If your child is still small, you can include songs for him to listen to. So the baby will get used to the sound of foreign speech from childhood, and some psychologists believe that in this way the baby can even unconsciously memorize some words.

9. Educational videos

Educational videos for children are bright and interesting video tutorials. Today on YouTube you can find dozens of channels with exciting and educational videos. We can recommend KidsTV123 and Busy Beavers.

10. Interesting exercises

Older children can do simple tasks and tests. It is important that the exercises are not too difficult and are presented as a game, then the child will not perceive them as another boring homework. Have him do the exercises at englishexercises.org or easygrammar4kids.

11. Fairy tales and short stories

If you are fluent in English yourself, you can read books to your child, for example, good and fascinating stories about Paddington Bear. And if you want your child to listen to exemplary English pronunciation, you can turn on an audiobook. Free materials for children are available at bookbox.com and storynory.com.

12. A good textbook

To prevent your child from associating the word "textbook" with a boring book, choose materials appropriate for his age and interests.

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